The tension in the air dramatically increased. Both sides watched on with curiosity and uncertainty as to how things would play out. They watched the contest between Saki and Masayuki not sure how he would make his next move. Saki played an extremely dangerous game with Masayuki. One that he didn’t tip his hand for to give her any indication of her success. She could only sweat in her skin waiting to see how things went.
On the UN side of the wall, the soldiers started to look antsy. They didn’t like the sounds coming out from around them. It started to sound like a horror movie with people’s voices almost disembodied crawling up from every corner to steal the souls of the living as punishment. Only out of orders did they stand their ground and even that was starting to become something that wouldn’t hold them.
Then to make matters even worse, Saki threatened them all by making the claim to have wiped out the entire gang war that even with the UN’s Empowered at hand could do nothing to resolve. The men started to question what sort of odds even those with powers could do to stand up against someone so overwhelmingly powerful. Her display of power to take out Nawabe so quickly added to their lack of confidence. All the normal soldiers continually felt surrounded by the impossible and frightening.
Hiroshi and Tatsuya sweated more than even Saki did with the horrible gamble laid out on the table. They couldn’t believe that Saki would throw it all away to make herself an enemy of the UN. ‘This isn’t the time to be starting fights with the UN, Saki!’ worried Hiroshi, ‘I wonder if Yuki was awake if he could have kept her from doing something so insane!’ All he could think was how much of a bad idea it was. They weren’t prepared to deal with the UN and the world’s policing arm. No one wanted that, but they didn’t know how Saki felt or if she even thought about it.
Forever a stoic stonewall of hidden emotions, Masayuki kept everything in check. None of this had been his sort of training. That much he was certain about. He wasn’t even a real Captain, but an honorary one. He had just been an ordinary engineer working at a computer tech corporation developing next generation processors. Not quite a common life, but a normal and ordinary one. Yet now here he stood on a regular basis facing down violent criminals and inhuman threats. The only thing that kept him standing was that he knew it was the right thing to do.
Had he been anyone else, he likely would have turned blue just seeing what Saki did in destroying Nawabe with little effort. The sight of her determined and yet pure eyes would have inspired fear within his heart. Her fierceness and loyalty would have made him second guess everything.
But he didn’t question any of it.
This was his life.
An unrewarding and ungrateful, yet necessary life. He had to stand and remain fixed to see justice through and protect those that did cower. It wasn’t his place to cower, but to stand. And he had to stand against all of it, no matter how ugly and distasteful it was. This was his decision as part of the problem and the solution.
‘This is truly an unfavorable job, but someone must be the one…’ He could see the resolve in Saki’s eyes. The unwavering determination was almost inspirational to behold for him. It was all he needed to know that he was doing the right thing, even though he knew it was far more complicated than that. His orders were still the same and the law was the law. None of that changed and none of it could be made to bend. “So you’re taking responsibility for everything that’s happened tonight. Is that right?”
Saki crossed her arms not backing down. “I said I did it all. Anyone else would have just gotten in my way.”
It was then that Hiroshi figured out that she was doing it. The gamble wasn’t even a gamble as he thought. She had a completely different aim in mind. ‘You can’t do this, Saki! What about Yuki?’
“Even if you did bring an end to this turmoil, murder and the assault of a UN soldier are still crimes. Crimes which you will be tried for.”
“Peace is never a simple thing to achieve. A few deaths justify the means.”
“However true that may be crimes are still crimes and I will have to arrest you.”
“Got enough men for that?”
“I’ll be enough for you.”
“That’s some big talk for someone struggling to keep his team in control.”
‘So she’s noticed. She’s very talented…’ Masayuki rolled his fingers open and closed to relieve some of the tension in his back. She wasn’t making it very easy for him. “Not as big as someone still exhausted from knocking out a single one of my subordinates.”
Saki kept up the show for Masayuki, but had to admit that he was observant. The battle with Tatsuya had a toll on her and Yuki ringing her bell still left its mark on her. Just to put on a display for the UN, she used a lot of her power to impress them. It served two useful purposes, so it wasn’t wasted. “I’m ready to go right here if you want to test me. I’m not going to just hand myself over that easily. I don’t care that you’re Japanese, I don’t agree with the methods that the UN is taking to try to resolve the problem.”
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“Seems we’re in agreement then, since I can’t agree with your methods of resolving the problem either. I’m not here to kill people, just restrain the chaotic elements that are misusing their powers. The world will never trust Japan if we can’t self-police.”
“Under the arm of the UN isn’t self-policing, it’s servitude.”
“So we can’t agree.”
“Nope.” The ground around Saki’s feet pulverized with the weight of her power crushing into them. “Then I’ll make it easy for you in all of your stalling and hesitating.”
‘Don’t do this Saki! There’s no going back from this now if you do!’
There was no need to sense anything. Masayuki could see her telegraph her intent. He had to release his team and prepare for the assault. If he didn’t give her his everything, he wasn’t going to survive her attack.
The three that remained conscious on his team attempted to move to act, but Saki’s speed exceeded their expectations. They all completely missed her as she struck Masayuki head on. The collision of her power ripped a massive shockwave through the air and behind him tore up the earth in a semi-circle around him.
A blast of wind blew backwards hitting Masayuki’s team and Hiroshi and Tatsuya as they were all left in stunned awe of the two’s clash. Tatsuya held his arms up trying to see through the thick dust cloud kicked up by the wind that Saki’s punch created. “Damn, she was holding back against me!”
“You’ve still got quite a bit of power in you for being exhausted,” Masayuki remarked, holding back Saki’s punch with one hand. His feet showed signs of having been pushed back about half a meter from where he used to stand.
She smirked back at him to hide her displeasure with the situation. “And you’re more than just talk.”
Chapter 363 – Broken Calm
“Dammit, Saki, this isn’t the time,” Hiroshi complained, noticing that more and more of the people part of Takako’s army were waking up. They were out of time. A problem none of them were prepared to handle was thrust upon them.
Forcing the fight to come to an end, Hiroshi activated his game power to bring everyone to a holding pattern. It allowed things to quickly die down between Masayuki and Saki. “All of you, we don’t have the time for fighting! You’re all under my power’s influence so don’t move.”
“What the hell did you do to us?” Umari demanded, unable to move even a centimeter.
“It’s how my power works. I’m not going into the details since it’s not important. Just know you can’t move until I release you.”
“What are you doing, Hiroshi?”
“I’m putting things back where they need to be, Saki! We have thousands of people that were under the influence of Takako and they’re waking up now. We don’t know what their mental state is or how they’re going to react. But they need our help right now!” Hiroshi looked over to Masayuki and the UN soldiers, not happy about the situation. “Now look, I know we’re not all getting along peacefully right now, but we need to put these things aside. The innocent people harmed by Takako need our help and there’s even more hands right now. Can you put all of your bloodlust and need for justice aside for one hour and just help people that are confused, lost and frightened?!”
He wasn’t sure if he was getting through to Masayuki, who he needed on board more than anything. Without him, everything would collapse as he would just go around fighting or arresting people. “Yes, these people did terrible things, but they’re also frightened and scared. They’re not going to know what happened or why they were made to do horrible things to people they called friends and family. So do what you claim to be here to do and protect these people! Help them!”
“Captain?”
Masayuki looked around as much as he could with an otherwise frozen body. He could hear the screams of the people waking up. And they stopped becoming screams and turned into voices. Pleads came from all corners needing help.
“What’s going on?”
“I-I killed someone…”
“My husband’s…I-I-I…”
“My friends?!”
“…I can’t…”
“M-make it stop! The voices!”
“…I want to…die…”
“Kill me!”
Tatsuya turned his head about in a panic hearing all of the voices. He recalled Yori’s words and started to understand the weight of things that they bore now. “Dammit-to-hell!”
Still tired from his fight, Hiroshi had trouble holding up his powers. He hoped that he had an effect. “What is it going to be? I’m holding these people back, but this can’t last forever. The real danger is around us, not in front of you. Make your decision, please!” Collapsing to one knee, his powers were starting to fading. Straining his mind as far as it could, he struggled to hold out until he heard what he needed from Masayuki.
‘This is more complicated than I expected… There isn’t going to be a simple and easy way to handle this.’ He was the officer in charge and he had to make a call. Everyone looked to him for a decision. Masayuki looked back at Saki who continued to only stare at him. She seemed to be judging him and his actions despite being unable to move. “You’re one weird girl,” he finally said with a sigh.
“And maybe you’re not so bad.”
“Are we in agreement then?” demanded Hiroshi. One hand pressed into the earth supporting his body as he felt his brain being pulled apart to its very threads by his power.
“Yes, until this situation is under control I won’t be arresting or charging anyone. There’s more important matters. But I have one condition.”
“What?”
“You all seem to have an unusual involvement in the matters. I want a full explanation of what happened.”
“Agreed.”
“Then we have a deal. Listen up, as Captain I make this order. There will be no fighting. Only give aid and support to those in trouble or injured. Anyone caught attempting anything else will answer directly to me! Understood?” He got quick acknowledgements from the normal humans under him that were more than happy to have things resolved in such a matter. They were too far out of the depth for such issues. However, his team specifically stayed quiet. “Am I understood? Or do I need to be more persuasive?”
“Yes, sir!” they all barked reluctantly.
“Good.”
“Finally…” Hiroshi collapsed to the dirt releasing his power. His friend quickly went to his side to help him up. A peace or maybe a ceasefire had been brokered even though it was under duress. It was progress. However, the future of the people, the innocents was a completely different problem.
The price spent by Takako started to become apparent that they were all in over their heads. Their troubles had only started.